Just Breath
by TheChicaChic
Summary: A Marsan fic set back in season three - picks up from Union Station - how I believe it should have happened.


Title: Just Breathe

Author: J.L Billig

Archive: Journey to a Fairy Tale {} – The Susan Lewis Experience {} – Fanfiction.net {} – Live Journal {} and anyone else who asks.

Rating: PG for now

Pairing: marsan

Disclaimer: This story starts out when Susan left back in Season Three in the episode 'Union Station'.  I wish she had stayed and that they had gotten together – so I'm re-writing history.  I'm allowed.  The characters are not mine – they're own by the mighty TPTB over at NBC and Warner Brothers – no matter how much I wish and beg they were mine.

_Remember when, we never needed each other, The best of friends like Sister and Brother We understood, we'd never be, Alone.  Those days are gone, and I want so much, The night is long and I need your touch, Don't know what to say I never meant to feel this way Don't want to be Alone tonight._

The conductor was checking her ticket, the porter was loading her bags on the train, Chloe and little Susie were waiting for her in Phoenix; so why did was she having second thoughts about getting on the train.

"Miss, your ticket".

Looking up, she smiled weakly at the conductor and took it from his hand.  'This is it Susan'.  Taking a breath, she grasped the handle of the train and pulled herself up onto the step.  In the distance, she swore she heard her name being called, but than again, how many different Susan's were there in the world.

"SUSAN"

That was Mark; she'd know his voice anywhere.  Turning around, she stepped off the train and looked at him.  He was breathing hard and looked as though he had run the entire way from the station.  A thin line of sweat was forming across his forehead and down the side of his face.

"You almost missed me."

"Don't go."

"What?"

"Stay – I love you."

"What?"

"I – Love – You."

Susan starred at him, shocked.  In a way, she had known he felt something more than the friendship they had, but even in her wildest dreams, she hadn't expected him to tell her.  If she admitted it to herself, she had always thought he saw her as nothing more than a sister and a best friend, but he was here and he was asking her to stay.

"I…I can't Mark."

_What can I do, to make it right Falling so hard so fast this time What did I say, what did you do? How did I fall in love with you? I hear your voice And I start to tremble Brings back the child that, I resemble I cannot pretend, that we can still be friends_

_Don't want to be, Alone tonight_

"Yes you can.  Stay here with me, we'll make it work.  Somehow we'll make it work.  All I know is we belong together."  'Oh god, she doesn't feel the same.' Mark watched her, his heart breaking as he stood there and watched her.  Suddenly, he felt her gloved hand caress his cheek and her lips were pressed against his.  It was by far the sweetest kiss he had had in his life and the most electrifying.  Even when he had been married to Jenn, he had never felt this kind of connection.  All to soon though, he felt her lips pull away from him.  "Please."

"Mark, I really can't stay.  My luggage – it's on the train and I'm not going to be able to get it off until Phoenix, not with the train getting ready to pull out of the station."

Looking down, he nodded and turned to walk away; he couldn't stand to watch her get on that train and leave his life.  His world was coming crashing down because he hadn't had the nerve to tell her how he felt before now.

"Good bye Susan."

She watched him walk away, wondering if men were really that dense when it came to what women were saying.

_Oh I want to say this right And it has to be tonight Just need you to know, oh yeah I don't want to live this life I don't want to say goodbye With you I wanna spend The rest of my life_

"Mark – I'll be back."

That seemed to get his attention.  She watched as he slowly turned around and looked up at her, his eyes hopeful.  If she had known that getting on a train and leaving would be what it took to get him to admit his feelings for her, she would have tried it sooner.

"I have to go to Phoenix; arrange for my things to be sent back here to Chicago, get my luggage, quit my job – oh man, is Morgenstern and Weaver going to let me had my residency back?  I have to say good-bye to Susie and to Chloe and I'm going to have to come back here and find a place to stay, but I'll be back."

During her little rambling, Mark had come closer, had stopped until he was separated from her only by the thickness of their coats and her clasped hands across her chest.  He watched her, taking in the way her eyes drifted upwards as she rattled off the list of things she had to do, but he didn't hear any of it.  The only thing he had heard was that she'd be back.  It wasn't too late; he hadn't blown his chance with her.  They still had a shot at their happy ever after – his love for her was not unrequited.  Leaning forward, he pressed his mouth against hers; hard and fast, stopping her words before she could start another sentence.

"Miss, you need to board the train, we're leaving."

Pulling apart, Susan looked up at Mark and smiled.  Maybe her fairy tale was going to come true.  She couldn't ask for a better prince charming and she knew deep down that the love they felt for each other had that chance of reaching a culminating level.

"I love you Mark."

He smiled, brushing a stray lock of blond hair from the side of her face.

"I love you too Susan."

Turning to look at the train, she sighed before looking back at him.

"I have to go.  I'll call you when I get there."

Nodding, he let her go, frowning slightly at the loss of connection with her.

"We'll figure everything out."

Leaning up to kiss him one last time, she moved away and stepped back on the train.  It started to pull out of the station and she leaned off the side, waving as it pulled away.

"I love you."  She screamed to him, watching as he got smaller and smaller.

Mark watched the train pull away and smiled.  She'd come back to him and they'd have their shot.  He couldn't ask for anything more.

_Continue – stop – blow it up.  Let me know.  __J__  The song used in this story is "How did I fall in Love with You" by the Backstreet Boys – I know – cheesy but I heard it and couldn't help but think of writing a marsan fic._


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